For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 6,138,960 A describes conduit hangers for hanging a pipe from a ceiling. Such conduit hangers have bracket elements in which the pipe is held.
In order for the load-bearing force of conduit hangers to be introduced over a large surface area into the pipe or into the insulation that surrounds the pipe, U.S. Pat. No. 3,653,618, for example, discloses placing a load-distribution plate into the bracket element of the conduit hanger, and the pipe, in turn, is laid onto said load-distribution plate. A load-distribution plate of the generic type enlarges the contact surface area and thus reduces the pressure that is exerted upon the pipe. U.S. Pat. No. 3,653,618 teaches that such a load-distribution plate can be centered by means of a tab that can be adjusted in the bracket element.
U.S. patent application 2010/140420A discloses affixing a load-distribution plate by a press fit between two reinforcement ribs. U.S. Pat. No. 6,224,025B discloses a system in which the load-distribution plate can be snapped in place. U.S. patent application 2004/0200936A1 describes a conduit hanger in which an insulating element is arranged in the bracket element that supports the pipe. This insulating element is secured by means of two tabs on the bracket element that engage with corresponding recesses in the bracket element.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,017,046 relates to a support saddle for pipes that has flange elements surrounding a shoe.
Another arrangement of a load-distribution plate is described in the subsequently published German document DE 10 2009 045484.